Redistricting still an embarrassment

The outcome of the recent referendum notwithstanding, the process and result of congressional redistricting in Maryland was a disgrace and remains a badge of shame for the state ("Against Question 5," Nov. 6). It would be hard to imagine a clearer case of politicians choosing their voters, rather than the other way around, undermining the fundamental purpose of the election process. But that was the only transparent part of this exercise, since the actual wording of the referendum question seemed intended to mislead.

A "yes" vote was not presented as an endorsement of the recent gerrymander but as establishing the boundaries of the state's U.S. congressional districts based on recent census figures, as required by the U.S. Constitution. What sensible citizen would support an unconstitutional outcome — unless that citizen had already been elected to office in Maryland? If John Sarbanes' 3rd District map were superimposed on a 20-year-old map of South Africa, a reasonable observer would take for granted that such a political alignment was intended to undermine the political rights of the unfortunates collected there.

In a recent editorial you noted that Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who lives in Prince George's County, followed the traditional formula of appealing to the Baltimore region by choosing Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as his running mate ("Twin controversies for Gansler," Oct. 14).

This Feb. 14, will mark the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the League of Women Voters, an organization that was built on the efforts to secure for women the right to vote and continues its work by providing information to all voters to ensure that the right is exercised effectively.

Like many Marylanders, I am frankly embarrassed by the strange congressional districts just approved by the electorate. I humbly suggest that future redistricting efforts attempt to make more compact districts in which the representatives can better attend to local issues.

Gerrymandering is never going to change — unless we fix this states' problems from the ground up. The recent gerrymandering of congressional districts made me come to the realization that the only way Marylanders voices will be heard is if we force our elected officials to step out of the...